Madison Course Descriptions

Registration

Current 6th and 7th Graders register in the spring for the following school year.  Course descriptions are available in the main office. Talk to your parents, counselors or teachers about which classes you should consider taking next year that support your career goals enhance your interests or teach you a new skill.

Students and their families select both semesters’ courses during registration. Students will remain with the same teacher for the full year in year-long courses and have a different teacher for each semester-long course. Students should choose courses carefully as schedule changes are extremely limited and must be approved by the principal.

Incoming 6th graders’ choice is whether or not to participate in the music program. Students who are not in the music program will be assigned a 6th grade elective.

Classes will be offered based on staff availability and the number of students who request courses. Signing up for a course is not a guarantee of enrollment.

Schedule Changes

(10-day rule) Schedule changes must be completed before the end of the 10th school day of the semester. During the first week of school there will be adjustments needed in class assignments to insure classes are balanced and that students are placed in the correct course of study.

Highly Capable (HC) Services

Starting in the 2022-2023 school year, there will be changes in the way Madison organizes, structures and delivers Highly Capable (HC) services to our middle school students who qualify. Seattle Public Schools has recognized that there are inequities in the way our Advanced Learning program was created and has continued to operate since its creation.

Seattle Public Schools is proud to lead the way in creating consistent, rigorous, and appropriate middle school courses for all our students as part of our commitment to racial equity.  As shared in February 2020, we are aligning course offerings for middle schools and K-8 schools across the district to bring predictability to all our families and create common pathways to college and career. In general, Seattle Public Schools is working to integrate our courses across content areas, so that students who qualify for HC services take classes with those who do not; this approach was reviewed and approved by the Seattle School Board. Madison will be in alignment with the policies of the school district and will no longer offer HC cohort classes in any subject area beginning in fall of 2022.

The Advanced Learning program is not going away, it’s getting better. It will be more inclusive, equitable and culturally sensitive. Going forward, every student from kindergarten to eighth grade will automatically be considered for Advanced Learning services, and the district will be using multiple sources to determine eligibility. Thus, students who have been historically excluded or overlooked will now have the opportunity to qualify for Advanced Learning services and get the support and enrichment they need to grow to their full potential.

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Madison Middle School Classes

Core Subject Classes & Requirements at Madison

core subject areas, years required, course length
Language Arts (3 years, full-year)
Mathematics (3 years, full-year)
Science (3 years, full-year)
Social Studies (3 years, full-year)
Physical Education (3 years, 1 semester each year)
Band/Orchestra (3 years available, but not required, full-year courses)
Foreign Language–Spanish or French (2 years available, full-year courses)

Elective Courses at Madison

Sixth grade electives : Communication, Art, Computer Technology, 6th Grade Study Skills, and Band/Orchestra

Seventh and Eighth grade electives (offerings are dependent upon student requests and staff availability): Personal Growth, Intro to Theatre, Marine Biology, Creative Writing, Choir, Leadership, Gateway to Technology, Art, Photography, Yearbook, French, Spanish, and Band/Orchestra